Retail Suppliers, Brokers Sponsor Council to Research Sales to Mid-Market Clients

Several retail energy suppliers and brokers have formed the Energy Research Council, a consortium that will gather market intelligence from middle-market organizations that buy electricity, natural gas, and related energy services.

Charter Sponsors include APPI Energy, ConEdison Solutions, Direct Energy, Liberty Power, and Washington Gas Energy Services.

The Energy Research Council will administer a series of quarterly online surveys. The goal of the research is to inform and educate the marketplace with insight into how middle-market companies make energy buying decisions. Research will examine the types of products and services buyers are interested in procuring and additional market drivers important to the supplier community. The knowledge gained will be used to improve the products and services offered to customers by the Charter Sponsors.

"The Energy Research Council creates a link between middle-market America and the energy industry for the exchange of information and education. Associations, their members, and the energy industry benefit through this sharing of information and best practices," said Kathy Kiernan, Senior Vice President of APPI Energy. "The Energy Research Council's objective is to develop a two-way dialogue between association communities and the energy industry."

Results from the quarterly research will drive an array of initiatives that will benefit energy companies, including articles, webinars, white papers, social media, digital publications, and educational events with an expected distribution to more than 100,000 middle-market decision makers.

The Charter Sponsor organizations will select survey respondents from a network of 150,000 business owners and senior executives responsible for making energy decisions in the retail, financial, real estate, automotive, healthcare, governmental, and manufacturing industries. Utilizing APPI Energy's association membership community, this exclusive network is comprised of member companies from 130 affinity groups, trade associations, and Chambers of Commerce that benefit from APPI Energy's consulting and procurement services. In addition, Charter Sponsors can survey a sampling of customers to receive benchmark comparisons.